1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrow gun, and specifically to the conversion of muzzleloader firearm into a firearm adapted for firing an arrow.
2. Description of Related Art
Guns adapted to propel arrows have been known in the art. Early designs adapted bows to gun frames and used a trigger mechanism for holding the string of the bow taut, with an arrow fitting into a groove in the gun frame and engaged by the string, so that when the trigger was released, the arrow would be propelled from the gun. This type of design was taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,907,273 issued to Umling on May 2, 1933, titled “Arrow Gun.”
In more recent models, guns using compressed gas as an energy source for propelling an arrow have replaced string propulsion. The compressed gas is typically stored in a tank or a gas cartridge. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,406, issued to Axelson on Jan. 3, 2012, titled “Gun Using Compressed Gas to Propel An Arrow,” a hollow barrel is adapted to accommodate an arrow, the barrel having an open rearward end and an open forward end, and a cylindrical chamber with a gas inlet for connecting the chamber to the source of the gas, as well as a gas outlet from which the barrel extends. This prior art invention provides a hermetically sealed cylindrical chamber that encloses the open rear end of the barrel and allows relative movement between the chamber and the barrel, the open rearward end of the barrel being sealed by the closed rearward end of the cylindrical chamber in the non-firing position, such that air may enter the barrel via the open rearward end of the barrel in the firing position.
In U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0188979 of Berry, published Sep. 1, 2005, titled “Arrow Gun Method and Apparatus,” a gun using compressed gas is taught. The compressed gas originates from a gas cartridge to propel an arrow. A barrel received the hollow shaft of the arrow, and a compressed gas storage chamber is adapted to receive and store the compressed gas in an expanded state from the compressed gas cartridge for later relief.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,749 issued to Ekstrom on Feb. 11, 1992, titled “Arrow Gun,” teaches a gun with a compressed gas source, such as compressed air or CO2, a high pressure air passageway for linking the barrel to the gas source to propel an arrow.
In the aforementioned prior art, either taut string or compressed gas stored in cartridges is the propellant for launching an arrow from a gun frame.
The popularity of hunting with a muzzleloading firearm has grown dramatically. The largest growth took place after states began special muzzleloader only seasons. These regulations have drawn many modern hunters into trying muzzleloaders. Now, thousands of hunters take advantage of these extended seasons each year.
In the Western states in particular, there are special muzzleloader seasons that traditionally coincide with the peak of the elk rut. Licenses are limited, so there are few hunters in the woods. Depending on the location and the skill of the caller, bulls can be bugled in to close ranges, which lends to hunting with muzzleloaders and crossbows. Typically a hunter can find a standalone muzzleloading season, or in some cases a “primitive weapons” season that may encompass muzzleloaders, crossbows, and slingshots.
Additionally, some hunters have taken to spear fishing with crossbows. This relatively new hunting interest has promoted an interest in crossbows and arrow guns.
Some muzzleloading hunters take a traditional approach, using old-style weapons and equipment; however, modern inline muzzleloaders offer better accuracy and reliability. They often come in break action, which makes cleaning easier and protects the ignition system from moisture. And they can be mounted with telescopic sights.
Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the gun's main powder charge (the flintlock mechanism replaced older ignition systems such as the matchlock and wheellock). Flintlocks were prone to misfire in wet weather, and many flintlock firearms were later converted to the more reliable percussion system or caplock system.
Percussion caps replaced flintlock ignition systems chiefly as a means to allow a muzzleloader firearm to fire in any weather. The percussion cap is a generally small cylinder of copper or brass. Inside is a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive material such as fulminate of mercury or a non-corrosive compound such as lead styphnate. The percussion cap is placed over a hollow metal nipple at the rearward or breech end of the gun barrel. The nipple contains a tube which goes into the barrel. The firearm hammer strikes the percussion cap and ignites the explosive primer by concussion. The flame travels through the hollow nipple to ignite a main powder charge.
Traditional muzzleloaders come in both caplock (percussion) and flintlock design, with the flintlock being the more challenging of the two.
Although adapting a gun to have the capability of shooting an arrow is known in the art, specifically with guns propelling arrows by compressed air using a compressed air source, adapting, or more precisely, converting a muzzleloader to have this capability represents a novel alternative to the compressed air arrow gun. The advantages and uniqueness of muzzleloader firearms are realized by a muzzleloader arrow gun.